Flare
by List-Me-The-Reasons
Summary: "Did I ever tell you about how we met?" Lavi stopped in his tracks to gaze down at the burning tomb for their now deceased comrade. "I was taken at first sight. Kid literally falls from the sky, and do you know what I was thinking?" he let out broken laugh as the smoke from below obscured the rampant fire completely. "All I could think of was which pick-up line I wanted to use."
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is an alternate universe and supernatural-based.

Summary: "Did I ever tell you about how we met?" Lavi slowed in his pace but came to a complete stop, gazing over the edge where down below burned the place where that person now rest. "I was taken at first sight. Kid literally falls from the sky, and did you know what was on my mind?" he let out broken laugh as the smoke from below obscured the rampant fire completely. "All I could think of was which pick-up line I wanted to use."

Pairing: Lavi/Allen, minor Kanda/Allen, and hinted Lenalee/Unknown character

Warnings for sexual themes, near-death of characters, violence, and a lot of sh*t that might make you cry. *Pats your shoulder and shushes you* But it will all be okay in the end.

Chapter One: From the Day I Met You

-DGrayMan-

"Hey, Old Panda, how's the fort holding up?"

A young man with short red hair and a single green eye turned his head up towards a short and elderly man balanced on the edge of a run-down building. Adjusting the scarf around his neck as the temperature dropped, he let out a deep breath and watched a small cloud form in the nighttime air. He brushed off what grime he could off of his black and white uniform, and grimaced when he saw the blood stains on his pants and boots. He shrugged the matter off for the meantime and paused in his tracks to at least fix himself up a bit before continuing.

Just a few minutes ago he had returned from an intense battle. It seemed as if they stumbled upon a new opponent every other hour. Between these enemies he only had time to go on moving and prepare for the next fight. He may as well use this chance to rest while he could. For all he knew, he may be thrown into hell in the next five seconds.

A quick look around their surroundings revealed that their fort wasn't doing too well. The place was only temporary because it would be dangerous to stick around in one place for too long. Just two days ago they had set up camp in this part of the abandoned city they were assigned to for their mission. They were on the outskirts of the area as being near the center could attract attention, and so they had been moving around along the outside.

This time they were staying in a building that was run down like the others. Every window was broken, but someone must have tried to board them up with old wooden planks before the place had been completely abandoned. He didn't mind one bit; there were some homes where half of a wall would be missing, or have huge gaps in the ceiling. This worn out building was practically a paradise compared to the other places.

The red-haired male stepped on something hard and looked down to see that he'd stepped on a corpse. He glanced at the still body once before looking back to the old man on lookout. His elder had acknowledged his prescence but focused on his task instead of engaging in conversation.

The old man wore the same sort of uniform as him, only several times smaller and with larger sleeves. His pointed ears were visible due to lack of hair, which what was left of had been put into a strange sort of ponytail in the shape of a question mark. Around his eyes was the black makeup that caused him to refer to him as an "Old Panda," a nickname that often resulted in him being whacked on the head.

Seeing as how he wouldn't get an answer at this time, the young man scratched the back of his head and took it that everything was alright. He didn't know if he should take a break and possibly make the mission go on longer, or if he should keep going and get this over with. They'd been here for over two weeks and after everything that had happened, he didn't want to be here anymore. He just wanted to complete the mission and get back to the Order where Lenalee and Yuu-chan and everyone else was.

He let out a yawn and folded his hands behind his head. As he wandered away, he kept his eye open in case of ambush. While he walked around, he thought back to what the Old Panda had said about the call from the Order- something about an update on one of Hevlaska's prophecies that would require them to return as soon as they could. A faint interest sparked inside of him, but he kept that to himself.

Outside the town was definitely safer than inside. Changing his original direction, he cut through the center of the town, where he had just come from. The bodies of the akuma were fading now but twitching occasionally as they disappeared. He didn't care about their suffering; it served them right after everything they had done.

Akuma were beings that had once been human. They were tormented souls trapped inside of human shells and forced to do the bidding of the Millennium Earl and the Noahs. Akuma were dangerous to everyone, especially to normal people. They acted the same, looked the same, and were just like anyone else save for the danger they posed. They were difficult to detect, and the only time to be sure was when it was too late. Depending on what level they were, it could be easy or difficult to exterminate them.

Unless the akuma were attacking or were after the weapons known as Innocence, there was no reason to hunt after them. As long as they stayed out of their way, they- the Exorcists- left them alone. In fact, it was useful to have them around in some cases. Citizens spread word about strange activity, Finders- the scouts- checked it out, and if there was definite akuma activity, then the Exorcists were sent in. But not to kill the enemy.

Their main goal, actually, was to find "Innocence." There were over a hundred pieces, which provided humanity the power to fight back against these akuma. The Black Order- the organization founded to wield and take charge of Innocence- was searching for the Heart in particular. The Heart was the most important piece of Innocence, and if it was destroyed, all other fragments would be destroyed along with it. That was why they were stuck on these tiresome missions, constantly risking their lives and getting no where.

The city was quiet after he had caused so much ruckus earlier. While he found that strange, quite frankly he didn't give a damn about it. It was a good thing that an abandoned city wasn't making any noise.

Taking a turn around a corner and walking down the street, he headed towards the gate not so far away. He wasn't sure how long he'd been walking for, but his stroll was doing him some good. Most of the time he wasn't able to allow his mind to wander like this, and there were plenty of things he had to think over. He was busy, what with being a Bookman- well, Bookman junior, that was. He was part of a clan that recorded the events of the world and was still in training, but there were many things that he had to record.

So yeah. Most of the time he was busy thinking about and memorizing other things.

But when he was alone like this, he was able to relax.

The young man reached the gates at last, and past the broken door gate had allowed visitors in and out of the fortified city. It was a shame that the high walls circling the city were wrecked in most spots. Entering had been easy- they had merely stepped over the rubble and gotten inside in less than a minute flat. Normally the city would have been better protected, but disaster had fallen and so had this place.

The guard posts would have been occupied and with lookouts watching from above in the towers. Since it was dangerous there, they hadn't checked those parts out yet. They had tried earlier, but it was next to impossible to enter in safely without attracting the attention of akuma.

His ears picked up a noise from above and his head snapped up to find the source. His eyes narrowed and darted around, his hand reaching automatically for his own Innocence. Even though he was a Bookman, they had sided with the Black Order and received Innocence of their own. The Old Panda had mentioned it was for purposes of recording only- something to do with the prophecy. He didn't care. As long as he could fight back, he was fine.

The sound slowly grew louder, but he couldn't locate the source. Now at extreme unease, he grabbed the Innocence from his belt and activated it. The weapon was in the shape of a hammer that he could grow or shrink at command, which was useful in most cases.

Preparing to strike, the young man assumed a fighting stance and hardened his face. He moved away from the gates as into the open where the chances of a surprise attack were slimmed. He didn't know what the noise was, but it was only one, which meant that any attacker would be by itself.

He just hadn't expected the "attack" to come straight from above.

Lifting his head as the noise came closer, he looked up to see a figure falling from the sky. His mouth dropped, and, uncertain as to what to do, dropped his hammer and glanced around to see if he was in the right spot to catch the body. The small person was screaming and flailing quite helplessly, a golden flash moving around him as he plummeted from above.

In those moments everything seemed to slow down. The small figure turned his head to the ground as if searching for anything to cling to, then made eye contact in that endless time.

The figure- a young male, probably younger than him- was lit with the moonlight from the star-filled night sky. His eyes were widened with fear and the silver color all too clear, a red scar running down the left side of his face, and above that eye a pentagram. Amongst the oddities, he spotted a strangely formed left arm, with a small green cross glowing on the backside of his hand.

"Hold on, I'll catch you!" he shouted out to the falling boy. "Hang on!"

With a powerful jump, he shot out into the air to throw himself at the figure, who let out a small gasp upon impact. The hair he had thought silver was actually white, and upon closer inspection he saw an otherwise flawless complexion with pale skin. His silver eyes were like a doll's, wide and beautiful.

A strange emotion spread throughout him in that moment, and his heart clenched for a reason he couldn't understand. He threw his arms around that person, holding him in a tight embrace. When he opened his eye to look at the person he had rescued, for a moment he could have sworn he saw white feathers extending from the boy's back.

"Like wings," he breathed.

And fell.

His back was the first to hit the ground, and he let out an "oompf!" with the collision. From above he heard the boy let out a startled sound. He groaned loudly as he sat up, allowing the boy to get off. Already roughed up from the earlier fighting, his recovery time was short. The boy on the other hand seemed to be in a form of shock.

He placed his hand tentatively on the younger male's shoulder, and gently shook him to get him to focus. "Hey," he spoke up, and shook the boy one more time. Mercury colored eyes blinked and looked over to him, causing the red-haired male to freeze up.

"Uhm," the boy bit his bottom lip and averted his gaze, but shifted in place to kneel, gently placing his hands on his own lap with a smile. "Thank you for catching me! I... I didn't expect anyone to be here- but you see, I was just up..." he trailed off uncertainly, and said to himself, "where was I?" The boy shook his head and his smile brightened, putting the matter to the side for then. "Well, anyways, I'm really grateful that you were around to catch me."

The red-haired male barely managed to catch a single word, however. His single green eye was fixed on the face of the stranger, watching him smile brightly like the sun. It was dazzling how he was able to do that, and it was a sight for his sore eyes. The only thing on his mind was "_what the hell should I say_" and there were two options:

The first one was, "_Are you an angel? Because it must have hurt when you fell from heaven!"_

And the second one: _"Do you have a map? Because I keep getting lost in your eyes..."_

The second thought was discarded and banished from his mind immediately upon him realizing it was too cheesy to dare be spoken. The first one was left unsaid because he didn't even know which side of the fence this stranger was on and he certainly wasn't going to ask. Hitting on a heterosexual individual would be extremely awkward- and not to mention sad if unrequited.

First, though...

"What's your name?" he asked and fixed an easy smile of his own onto his face. When extracting information from others, it was always a good thing to smile and act like the conversation was natural.

The boy cut himself off mid sentence and calmed from his flustered state. He stopped moving, and sat across from him with a gentle- a genuine, warm smile as his silver eyes filled with kindness.

"My name is Allen Walker," he greeted politely. "And you name is?..."

Allen Walker. Young male, white hair, silver eyes, short, small, deformed arm, scarred left side of face. Polite, smiles, and shows no sign of malice.

The red-haired male allowed himself to relax only slightly. "My name is Lavi. Just Lavi."

"Lavi," Allen repeated the name to remember it, then nodded to himself and grinned. "Well, it's nice to meet you- I wish I hadn't dropped in like that, but, well, stuff happens."

The two stood and Lavi noticed how the boy was almost a foot shorter than him. His build wasn't the most muscular (though he didn't seem like a weakling) and he could overpower the boy if he needed to, but he doubted that. He appeared to be friendly, and he hoped that the kid would stay that way. He wasn't sure how much fighting he would be able to handle for one day.

Quietly, the boy straightened out his clothes. He wore a simple tan coat which underneath revealed part of a dress shirt and red ribbon. His pants were torn just above the knee on his right leg, white bandages clearly visible against the dark material. His lace-up boots went up to his mid-calf, the leather of his footwear a few shades darker than the slim pants that were tucked into those boots.

His silver eyes stared off into the distance and away from the city. Lavi's one good eye followed his gaze but he saw nothing but the road worn down from years of neglect and a few dead trees on the sides.

Just as he was about to ask what was wrong, the golden flash returned from earlier and rammed into the boy's back, sending him falling forward. The bookman junior caught him before he could hit the ground, unknowingly pulling the new arrival closer to himself.

Floating before them was a golden golem. It stared straight at them, waving its tail back and forth as Allen got back up.

"Tim," Allen complained, letting go of Lavi and turning to scold the golem that came closer to settle on his shoulder. "Tim, I told you not to do that! How do you think we ended up like this in the first place?"

In response the white-haired boy's words, the golem smacked its owner on the side of the face. Lavi watched the two interact and found it odd that Allen was treating it as if it were a person. Allen whined about Tim's abuse but allowed the golem to stay close to him.

"That's an odd companion you have there," Lavi commented as the boy had stopped struggling with his friend. The boy tilted his head to the side, but smiled as he spoke.

"He's my master's golem, actually," he answered honestly, and Tim flew up to sit on the boy's head instead. "General Cross Marian. That's my master." Lavi's smile immediately fell on recognizing the name, and he only stared at the boy who continued on. "And he's sending me to the Black Order to become an Exorcist. Though, I keep getting lost, and I keep getting into accidents all over the place..."

"Cross Marian," Lavi confirmed in a slow drawl. "Your master... is _that_ guy?"

Allen nodded.

"Yeah! That guy," he chirped. "I ran away from him!"

...

_Wait, what?_

"You ran away."

"Yeah!"

"And you're okay with that?" Lavi found it hard to believe that this boy had run away from the one of the Order's best Exorcists and had managed to escape unharmed. He glanced at the deformed left arm, which he assumed was a parasitic type.

As if being lectured, Allen huffed and crossed his arms defensively.

"Well... yeah," he answered as though it were obvious, "He said he'd already sent the letter, so I figured I may as well leave to get a head start," he explained himself shamelessly. "He kept saying that I would get lost- but hey, that's why I left so early! It wasn't like he was going to escort me himself." Allen sighed and looked down to the ground. "He hates the Order- won't go anywhere near it."

Lavi noted that for later. He didn't know much about the generals as he'd only met one before in a brief passing, but any information helped him get the most basic idea about them. As a bookman, history-recording would become more efficient should he know the personalities of those he was observing. It wasn't his favorite thing to do, what with observing the stereo-typical exorcists and their hero-complexes, but it was a requirement and there was no getting around it.

_That's two generals down... three more to go,_ he thought tiredly. The newcomer continued to talk in the background. He chose to focus in on what he was saying in case there was anything important.

"Anyways, I got really angry with him because of his debts."

_Debts? _The bookman frowned and at this and raised one eyebrow at the previous statement. _What kind of person exactly is Cross Marian?_

"That's not good," Lavi put in his thoughts as Allen went on.

Allen didn't seem to hear him.

"His debts were really piling up, and his loan sharks kept chasing after me! So when he mentioned that he'd sent the notification letter to the Head, I left the room and packed all of my things. Then I jumped out the window, but he was probably too drunk to notice that I left. Tim followed me-" the golem smacked Allen's face again "-and he kept biting at me and trying to make me go back to Master. He gave up halfway through India, though."

With a long sigh, Lavi looked around to see if they were safe. A quick scan revealed that they were alone, but Lavi didn't exactly feel safe while out in the open like this. Hopefully nothing else planned on falling from the sky tonight. Anxiously, he then looked to the broken down gates, and to Allen who seemed to be caught up in a bad memory.

"Well, whatever your... story is," Lavi raised his voice to snap Allen out of his daydream, "we should get to shelter. It's not exactly safe around here."

"Alright," Allen smiled, "where to?"

Lavi pointed at the city, to which Allen blushed for not having realized where else.

"I'm also from the Black Order," he informed the white-haired boy in a more serious tone. He supposed it was better to cut straight to the chase. "You can follow us back to the Order- but only once we're done with our mission."

"Us?" the boy echoed the word curiously.

Lavi nodded and began to head back into the city. The boy trailed behind him, waiting for his answer as he picked up his pace to match the older male's.

"You'll see," was all he said.

-DGrayMan-

A/N: Okay, so there's the first chapter! I really hope you guys enjoyed this, and no, I don't plan on dropping this story. The outline is complete and I just need to write it all out. I should hopefully have some time before school starts again to at least post chapter two, but if not, it'll be up at some point. Leave a comment or favorite/follow if you liked this so I can know how much time I want to invest in this. If no one reads this then updates will be slow but eventual. But if I get positive feedback I'll see what I can do about sitting my ass down at the computer and typing this whole thing out.

On another note, have a merry christmas and stay safe for the holiday season! :)


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Wow, I got a lot of reviews from the first chapter! You guys have no idea how happy it makes me to see a story like this get feedback like that from the audience :) So thank you, and I hope you enjoy the second chapter :) !

-DGrayMan-

The walk back to camp took an unexpected turn. Perhaps the delay had been caused by Lavi spending more time than necessary on "examining the newcomer" (report: subject is F.I.N.E. Fine) and on asking questions in an attempt to get to know his future comrade better. By which he meant he was probing in places he shouldn't be, and the white-haired boy repeatedly told him that his inquires were inappropriate in their given time and environment.

Honest to god, he was surprised that this kid hadn't snapped and tried to off him yet, but it was possible that he had learned to conceal or suppress any anger as a necessity in order to have trained under the hot-blooded man known as Cross Marian. Actually, that was probably why Allen could tolerate him to begin with. The bookman junior made a mental note to thank that general if possible sometime in the future. Then he decided against it because he could only imagine how strange that conversation would go down.

They were taking a shortcut down an alley to return faster. Allen was still following close behind Lavi, who had been down this way many times in the past week. He was just discussing their situation to Allen, the topic of Allen's background having been dropped reluctantly by the bookman junior. Lavi promised himself that he would learn more about the other later.

"We haven't been able to locate the Innocence just yet," he complained in a tired drawl, while thinking that just talking about the Innocence itself was frustrating. He'd much rather continue to interview this mysterious exorcist, thank you very much.

From what he had learned of his attempted (and failed) interview so far, it was enough to understand him.

He wielded parasitic Innocence for one. As it was part of his body, this meant that the wielder had to be exceptional in hand-to-hand combat. Unless Lavi was wrong and Allen's arm turned into a cannon or something.

But that was stupid.

Two, Allen had traveled many places in the past. He was likely to be aware of cultural differences and given his polite demeanor, also respective of them. That was good; as the Order consisted of people from all over the world, there were many types of people working in each branch. Allen was bound to make good friends there.

And three... he was good-looking. Also likely to be popular in a different sense.

"We think it might be at the center of the city. The akuma are attracted to it for whatever reason, but I'm hoping that if there is Innocence that we get to it first."

Lavi looked to Allen's face to see what he thought. When he turned around to ask for his opinion on the matter, the silver eyes that he had been interested in were distant, locked onto the glowing moon and his figure still.

"They could be building a nest."

The suggestion was one that Lavi hadn't considered. He was about to say that it was possible, but before he opened his mouth, Allen's left eye suddenly flashed a bright red. The wind that hadn't stirred for the longest time was now raging, blowing in all directions.

Lavi was nearly knocked off balance by the violent wind, but when he opened his single eye to see how Allen was doing, he nearly stopped moving completely, frozen at the sight of the other.

It was like seeing him merge with the wind and become one with the night.

"Targets acquired," came a voice from Allen's mouth, but did not belong to him at all. "Seven level one enemies approximately within two minutes distance. Is this perhaps what you've been dealing with?..."

He smiles in a teasing manner, at that moment several years older than him, radiating an unparalleled grace.

"Four more south from here, one minute away. There's a level two amongst them."

The akuma are mere flies to this stranger.

"They're heading in the same direction. I wonder if something happened?"

Lavi feels his jaw dropping.

"Probably."

His heart beating.

"I should go and save their souls now, I suppose."

And with a powerful leap, he disappeared from the ground, almost as though the wind had carried him upwards to the rooftops where his left eye glowed like a red star against the dark sky. Lavi's heart skipped a beat at the sight when it looked to him; the red eye was almost demonic, but the silver orb beside it gazing at him benevolently put him at ease.

The face becomes all too clear in the moonlight. The face is kindly, the like that of a dear friend glad to see him. His eyes, though one different than the other in its outward appearance, both radiate warmth and a tenderness all on their own. Smooth lips, probably soft to the touch, part to speak and all he can focus on is their movement and the words he says.

"I'll be back in less than five minutes."

Then there's a flash of white and covering the red and silver stars is a mask. A white-hooded cowl of feathers materialized on his shoulders, along with a strange white long coat that flies behind him as he takes off for the heavens.

Like that, he jumps off the ledge of the building and vanishes into the night the moment of his takeoff.

Lavi only stares after like he saw a far away light shine from inside an endless tunnel of darkness.

To be more accurate, though...

It was like being trapped an the blackest abyss imagineable. No light, no hope. Unable to even see his hand if he smacked his face with it. And then, with his eyes closed, his misses the moment that a light explodes above him like a universe being born. He misses it, but he watches it become something great. The light expands endlessly, racing across the sky and engulfing everything until there's no more darkness left.

Then comparing that great light to his own self that he had never seen before, he feels self-conscious, small, insignificant, and strange. He wonders if he can ever come close to the breath-takingly beautiful light.

Wonders if he can come close five minutes later when true to his word, Allen returns without a single scratch on his body, a small object in his hands glowing a soft green.

And then he wonders if he can ever become that powerful.

...

The mission is over.

"I'm not going to complain." Lavi speaks to the Old Man in a voice that is quiet, slowing rising without his realizing. "But don't you think it's odd that he managed to find the shard in five minutes, while we've been here for two weeks plus and came up with _nothing?_"

Their visitor has left, only having passed by.

The akuma, destroyed.

The old man looks up at him. He's just as surprised as Lavi is about the abrupt end of their mission, is just as relieved, and just as suspicious of the mysterious traveler. But he's not as petulant as Lavi is being.

"We didn't even question him." The young man is worked up now, perhaps jealous of the power he doesn't have. "What are we supposed to tell Komui? That a kid came in and did what we couldn't in _five minutes?_"

He's bitter.

Bookmen are not allowed to display such emotions.

"That is what happened," he answers neutrally. "We don't have to phrase it like that in the report."

Lavi's fists clench.

Then, remembering the benevolent smile, his anger subsides.

His face, sullen.

"I suppose."

The angelic figuring standing atop the ruins.

"We got what we came for in the end."

"And more," the Bookman adds to Lavi's tired statement. "If I'm right, we just met the Destroyer of Time."

The Destroyer of Time is exactly what it sounds like.

It's the end of an era they're all ready to abandon and forget, brought on by one who will allow them all to move on from these wars that go on and on to drive them to the point of exhaustion. The Destroyer of Time is supposed to help them. Whoever it is, they're supposed to kill the Millennium Earl.

They've been looking forward to his arrival.

Lavi only nods, his mind wrapped around the recent events. He can't think straight, and probably won't be able to until he gets some sort of closure on this.

"I've arranged for us to be picked up," Bookman tells him on the side. "Be ready by the time they get here."

He doesn't move or say anything.

His mind is too occupied by the boy named Allen Walker.

-DGrayMan-

A/N: My eyes are fried from writing all day. You're welcome.

If you're interested in Laven by the way, I have another story up called "Noir." I'm really excited about that one because it's going to have a hell load of plot-twists and mindfucks, so check it out if you have time! :D But you don't have to- it's just a suggestion because certain types of fics are hard to find here :/


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter three

A/N: Yes, Lavi could have invited Allen to go with them, but Allen didn't stick around long enough for them to offer. He just gave them the Innocence and left like that.

-DGrayMan-

A slender figure stands outside a tall building with a clipboard and patiently waits for the one who's meant to appear before them today. It's a woman of Chinese background, with long black hair tied into twin ponytails and parted bangs above her amethyst colored eyes. She shifted in place to keep herself warm against the cool breeze, wishing that her uniform was a bit longer. Her uniform was black and white and long enough on her arms, but far too short for comfort down below. She'd had to put on shorts underneath to keep herself decent. In her opinion, her workplace needed to fix the uniform to something less revealing.

Until then she was stuck in this getup. She sighed and hoped that the newcomer wouldn't comment on the uniform difference, and frowned at the boots that were too long and too heavy. She couldn't complain; they were what the Order called "Equipment" type of Innocence. She fought with them, walked with them, and practically lived in them. At least they looked good. She would feel even more embarrassing if she came outside in boots that made her look like a hooker.

While she was waiting, she fiddled with her pen and took a glance at the papers attached to her clipboard. Looking around to see that no one was watching, she clicked the end of the provided pen and began to doodle. It wasn't like these papers were important, anyways. They were about one of the Science Division's requests, but the only paper that mattered was the one with the signature. The others were only information that she, as the Director's assistant, would go over anyways quickly and never see again.

But since she was at this at the moment, she skimmed over the document and abandoned her doodling for the moment. It was about an extension for a deadline of a project. Without a second glance, she signed where a line requested her signature and then the Director's. On the line that she'd written on was her name in a quick scrawl.

Lenalee Lee.

It didn't look too good, but it was legible to any eye. She missed the Chinese characters she used to write with, but had long forgotten them upon coming to the Order. Here she had been miserable, forced to stay because of her accommodator status, forced to learn to write and speak in English, and had forgotten her culture in an assimilation process.

Of course she was bitter about the entire deal and wished for revenge, but there was nothing she could do against an entire organization. Besides, her older brother had come all the way over here and had worked his way up to the position of the European Branch's director. Going against the Order as she had initially planned would mean going against her precious older brother as well.

The presence of her older brother had indeed made things tolerable around here. She managed to break free of the depression she had been trapped in since their forced separation, even making friends in this accursed place.

Even so...

She blinked at her doodling that had gone from pictures of flowers to piles of bones and sinister looking figures. Not wanting to see the darkness that had slipped from her mind, she removed the paper from the clipboard to stuff it into her pocket. Making a note to locate the nearest recycling bin when she got inside, Lenalee started a new set of doodles on his paper. This newcomer wasn't even meant to be here until later, but she had wanted fresh air so she had come out with the excuse to look for this new exorcist incase he arrived earlier than expected.

At any rate, being out here was more exciting than staying inside. Most of her friends were away on missions and she had just returned from her own, so she wouldn't be getting another until after some time had passed. With her friends gone, there were few she could talk to in her downtime and the majority of them were busy with whatever project it was that the Order was working on.

The wind began to pick up and she let out a yelp when the paper she'd been doodling on was suddenly blown away. Abandoning her post, she started to chase after the paper but stopped when it was too far away. Oh well. It wasn't going to be seen ever again anyways.

Just as the Chinese woman was turning back around, a figure materialized beside her, returning the very same paper to her as though it were a simple handout. Her amethyst colored eyes widened, and as though viewing the world in slow motion, she watched the stranger pass her by. Against the bright blue sky he appeared to glow with the sun's light drawn towards him, short white hair being tousled lightly by the breeze, silver eyes kind.

She nearly blurted something out right then and there, but entering her line of vision were white feathers that trailed behind like a cape. She rubbed her eyes, but when she opened them again, she saw that they were not an illusion as she had suspected and that instead of a few, there were two wings extending from the stranger's back.

"Are you..." she whispered in amazement, almost to herself. However, the young man heard her and made eye contact as he paused in his tracks towards the building.

"Hello," the young man greeted with a warm smile, extending his right hand for Lenalee to shake. "Do you work here by any chance?"

Realizing she was staring, she blushed and quickly accepted the hand with a grin of her own.

"Yes! You must be Allen Walker," she nodded, perhaps a bit too enthusiastically. She could feel her cheeks burning a soft red, her day suddenly a thousand times better. "We've been waiting for you."

She had nearly asked if this young man was an angel.

"I hope I didn't keep you waiting out here," the arrival expressed genuine concern on his face, and Lenalee placed him as the kind of guy with manners. "I'm sorry if I..."

Before he could apologize, Lenalee seized his hands and smiled reassuringly. "No, no, it's not a problem! The Order is just slow today and I wasn't doing anything better."

"Mmm, so that's why there were doodles on that paper?" the young man didn't seem to mind that his hands were being held as such, engaging in polite conversation with the Chinese woman.

Her blush turned bright red.

She didn't think that anyone would actually take the time to look over such a boring document.

"Yeah," she admitted weakly, her smile twitching nervously. The wings behind the stranger flexed slightly, causing her smile to not fall, but more of for her face assume a curious expression.

Allen Walker took notice of her sudden change.

"Is everything okay?"

The wings weren't going away.

Did that mean that he really was an angel?

"... Yeah, I just thought I saw something!" she smiled again, stepped away and ushered towards the entrance of the building. "My name is Lenalee and I'm an exorcist here. It's nice to meet you..."

She paused.

"Umm..."

The young man didn't appear to be Asian and might not understand honorifics, that being the reason of her hesitance. He might be creeped out if she used one, and think of her as too formal if she called him "Mr. Walker."

She was saved from this embarrassing moment by Allen intervening.

"You can call me by either my last or first name," he told her. "I won't mind either way. And yes, honorifics are fine."

"Then... then..."

The wings extended.

His smile gentle.

Gaze patient.

"Allen-kun!"

It's not a Chinese honorific, but one that her older brother has used when referring to the Japanese exorcist in their branch. Her older brother, Komui, thought that by using honorifics from the Japanese man's culture would be the polite thing to do (and the airhead exorcist wouldn't understand Chinese anyways), but ironically, he ended up offending by using the honorific "chan."

Apparently that was a no-no for men of Japanese society. "Kun" or "sama" were the preferred ones. Lenalee had taken a liking to "kun" and began to use it when possible, or if she found a boy that she liked.

Not to mention that she didn't trust Komui to tell her the right ones for Chinese honorifics. He'd probably tell her the word for "bastard" instead of an honorific for a boy.

"That's Japanese, isn't it?"

The wings were still there.

"Yes. It's one I learned from one of the other exorcists here! You see, the European branch has workers from all over the world. We have people from India, America, Romania, places in Asia, and lets see... France, and Germany, and Mexico..."

The list continued on as she led Allen inside of the Order. She couldn't help but glance at the wings every once and a while, she kept looking over at the newcomer as if he might vanish. Even during the tour of the building, her eyes would wander to the brilliant whiteness nearby and no matter what she did, she couldn't stop looking.

And even when she left Allen to her older brother so they could meet up with Hevlaska for examination, she stared at the white wings until they were out of her sight.

She wondered why she was the only one who could see them, though.

Certainly, if everyone else could see, then she wouldn't be the only one looking Allen's way?

...

Two figures sit opposite each other at a table in a busy cafeteria.

"Today I met the new exorcist," the smaller of the two says to the man across from her. "He was really polite."

The interest of the other is piqued. He puts down his utensils and swallows the food in his mouth, the mention of the newcomer causing this. The man doesn't show any expression on his face, but he doesn't pretend that he isn't intrigued either.

"And?"

The woman smiles.

"His name is Allen Walker. I think he's British."

The other diner merely nods, recognizing the name as it had been mentioned to him by an annoying man that he was (unfortunately) acquainted with.

"What does he look like?"

Appearance is relevant. For all he cared, this Allen person could have come from outer space. Nothing matters at all to him. This is merely conversation to kill the time. He doesn't have anywhere to be, and he doesn't have anything planned.

He picks up the chopsticks in front of him and resumes eating. His favorite meal is in front of him and he beginning to lose interest in the subject with the way this woman is talking.

"Let's see..."

The woman before him has a distant look in her eyes, as though thinking of someone fondly. He nearly snorts at the sight; he knows who she is thinking of, and also knows that what she feels is a small infatuation.

In his most humble opinion, he thought that the girl should wait before deciding anything.

"Well..."

He wonders if she suddenly went amnesiac on him.

No.

It's more like she became a fangirl.

"He has white hair."

Instant attention-grabber.

"Oh. So he's old."

"He's younger than us."

White hair.

"Also, his eyes are silver."

"And?"

"Hmm..."

There's clearly a detail that the woman is leaving out. He can see it in those amethyst eyes of hers. A detail about the newcomer is being left out, but he won't pry for information because it's none of his business.

He won't lie.

The description so far depicted the newcomer as an odd person. It will be easy to spot this person in the hallways for one thing. On another, it would be horrible for stealth.

"He has a scar on the left side of his face," she says at last. "And his left arm is Parasitic. Then..."

She doesn't finish her sentence.

The man finishes his food and in that moment he stands. Across from where he sat, the woman with amethyst eyes snaps out of her daze. He's done with this, and doesn't want to hear anymore about a person he has never met.

"Ah, Kanda, are you done already?" she calls after him, prepared to stand up after him.

Kanda nodded without saying anything.

A bright red mess of hair draws cobalt blue eyes to where a sullen young man walks into the cafeteria line to request food. The man who is usually cheerful, obnoxious, and loud seems to have been sucked dry of all energy, which is a cause for alarm to most of those who know him.

He knows this man as "Lavi," a Bookman who had joined the Order for observation purposes.

"Oi, rabbit," he approached the red-haired male and taps his shoulder, stopping next to him reluctantly. The other had made a request earlier in the week, and true to his word he made sure to speak up.

The single green eye that looks up at him is just as tired as the rest of him. It was almost worrying.

Almost.

"Walker is here."

Kanda had no clue why the Bookman had requested that he tell him about the arrival of the exorcist he had spoken so much about. From what he recalled of their one-sided conversations, Allen Walker was supposedly this "badass" who managed to locate a shard of Innocence within five minutes, destroying several akuma in the process.

As he left the cafeteria, he rolled his eyes at the exaggeration. There was just no way that was possible unless of extreme coincidence and luck. Kanda simply refused to believe that story; he would wait to see this kid in action and then decide what to think of him.

Until then, he told himself that he didn't care.

-DGrayMan-

A/N: Chapter Four is on the way. Hold on until then I guess? I don't know if any of you guys remember this story. You must have opened the notification, stared blankly at the message and said "Huhh. Me no understand. What this."

Or something like that, unless you actually did remember this story existed.


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